Machine for forming article supporting pallets for wrapping machines



June 21, 1949. N. w. LYON ETAL MACHINE FOR FQRMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 QNY MNY INVENTORS Vo/Pmw M 170174170 BY/PozA/mEBfioW/v ATTORNEYS N. W. LYON ET AL MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING June 21, .1949.

PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 June 21, 1949. N. w. LYON ETAL 2,473,656

MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING PALLE'I'S FOR WRAPPING MACHINES 7 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 152m Mlmv Mo 1 BYjPauniffinomv ATTORN YS June 21, 1949.

Filed D60. 12, 1947 N. w. LYON El'AL MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS N. w. LYON ETAL MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING '7 Sheets-Shet 5 June 21, 1949.

I PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Dec. 12, 1947 v 39 14' 2a 4Q 38 46 minim 449 INVENTORS 116mm! Miran Mo BYJYoz Ma EB/Pom/ q- ATI'OR YS June 21, 1949. N. w. LYON ETAL 2,473,656

MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTING PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Fi led Dec. 12, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet nll INVENTORS June 21, 1949. N. w. LYON ETAL 2,473,656

MACHINE FOR F ARTICLE SUPPORTING Patented June 21, 1949 MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLE SUP- PORTING PALLETS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Norman W. Lyon and Roland E. Brown, Springfield, Mass., assignors to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,268

6 Claims. (01. 154-30) This invention relates to a device for cuttinz and forming supporting cards or pallets ,upon which articles are positioned prior to wrapping.

In the wrapping of articles such as candy bars it is customary to place the bar on a cardboard pallet prior to wrapping, the pallet giving support to the bar during the wrapping operation and providing an edge against which the folding of the wrapper may be accomplished without damage to the article. The use of the pallets in conjunction with properly designed wrapping instrumentalities also makes possible a relatively loo'se wrapping of the article which is desirable to prevent the surface of the candy bar. which surface is frequently a thin coating of chocolate, from being damaged.

The pallets commonly used for this purpose have been flat pieces of cardboard which, to secure the necessary longitudinal rigidity for properly supporting the candy bar during wrapping, has required a card thickness of approximately .022 of an inch. Such pallets have even greater relative resistance to bending transversely than longitudinally. This transverse rigidity in some cases is undesirable, as when a number of wrapped candy bars are packed or arranged in superposed layers, the substantially unyielding pallets of the upper layers tending to damage the tops of the underlying bars. The pallets also represent a substantial item in the wrapping cost. To reduce the wrapping cost and at the same time secure an improved product, it has been proposed to reduce the pallet thickness to approximately .014 inch thickness and provide the needed resistance to longitudinal bending by forming parallel corrugations longitudinally of the pallet. Because ofthe thinness of the pallet material the corrugations form a transversely yielding cushion as compared to the completely rigid pallets previously used and this, with the increased transverse flexibility, provides the desired loose wrap but without the unnecessary complete rigidity at the base of the article. The resulting loose but softer wrap has advantages in permitting the wrapped bar to adjust itself to the wrapper and pallet and decreases the possibility of damage in handling the bars and when a number of wrapped bars are packed together.

In the production of such a package substantial dificulty was however encountered in the forming and supplying of suitable pallets to the wrapping machine. Because of the tendency of the relatively soft thin material to tear, particularly at the speed of travel necessary to supply the needs of the high speed wrapping machines. conventional forming means are inadequate.

It is accordingly one purpose of the present invention to provide a machine which is capable of cutting and forming pallets of the above character at a speed commensurate with that of a high speed wrapping machine and in synchronism therewith. A further object is to provide specific forming instrumentalities capable of acting on thin material traveling at high speed without damage to the material.

Other and further objects and advantages will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

"Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a generally perspective detail view of one of the folders and one of the fold retainers;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 6-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentarytop plan view with parts broken away, the upper shaping and forming rolls having been swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the changeable gear drive;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view of the second pair of shaping rolls;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the forming rolls:

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the final drawing or feeding rolls;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional View substantially on line llll of Fig. 12;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view substantially on line l2-l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view substantially on line l3- -I3 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 14 is a similar sectional view through the forming rolls.

Theoperating parts of the machine, later to be described in detail, are carried by a frame generally indicated at l which is supported from side rails 2 mounted on legs or posts 3, the frame I being carried on cross bars 4 and 5 extending between the side rails.

The material from which the pallets are to be formed is supplied in the form of a narrow web W from a roll S (Fig. 2) supported by means not shown from the side rails 2. From the supply 8 the web W is directed around a guide roll and between advancing or measuring rolls 1 mounted on shafts I, driven by means later described. The upper measuring roll, as shown in Fig. 2 is preferably formed of rubber.

The upper shaft 9 is journalcd in a pair of spaced brackets 9 (Figs. 1 and 2) which are pinned to a cross shaft ill pivoted at its ends in frame i. Each bracket 9 is provided with a forward extension I I, which is engaged by an adjustable spring I2 providing the desired pressure for feeding the web into the machine. In threading the web into the machine the upper roll 1 may be raised against the pressure of the springs i2 by a cam is secured to stub shaft It provided at its outer end with an operating handle II.

From the measuring rolls the web W advances over a plate It beneath a guide member 11, supported from a cross rod II, to a cutting device generally indicated at is. The cutting device comprises a blade 29 secured by bolts 2| to the slabbed of! face 22 of a cylinder 22, the ends of' which are turned down as at 24 to form a shaft turning in bearings formed in the main frame. Blade cooperates with a stationary blade 25, adjustably secured to a cross member 26 to sever cards from the end of the web. As later described the knife 29 is rotated in timed relation to the measuring rolls 1 to sever pallets of desired length.

As the end of the web advances beneath and beyond the cutting blade 29 it passes successively between pairs of shaping rolls 21-29. 29-30, forming rolls 3I-22, and feed rolls 22-24. The upper rolls 21, 29, 2| and 32 of the pairs are mounted on respective shafts 35, each of said shafts (Figs. 2 and 3) being mounted in a bifurcated arm 36 of identical bell cranks 91 pivoted on rods 38. The ends of the rods are secured in spaced lugs 39 depending from a plate 40. The other arms 4! of the bell cranks engage adjustable stop screws 42, threaded in plate 40, which limit the downward movement of the arms 26 and the rolls carried thereby. The arms 20 are provided with lugs 43 between which and collared pins 44, adjustably threaded into plate 40, are positioned compression springs 45. By suitably adjusting the stop screws 42 and the spring pins 44 the spacing between the rolls of the several pairs and the pressure exerted by the upper roll of each pair may be nicely adjusted to properly operate upon cards of different thickness and quality of material.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the plate 49 is pivoted at 46 to the frame I to be swung out of operative position to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby providing access to the lower rolls and the parts associated therewith. The plate is clamped in operative position by a latch 41 pivoted at 48 to the frame I and engaging in a slot 49 inthe plate, a nut 50, threaded on the latch, clamping the plate tightly in place.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 12 the upper shaping roll 21 is formed with a central rib ii, the roll being centrally split as at 52, the halves being adjustably secured by set screws 53 to the roll shaft 25. The lower roll 29 is formed with a central groove 64 into which the rib ii of the upper roll extends. The lower roll is centrally split as at 55, the halves being adjustably secured by set screws 56 to a shaft 51 journaled in the side frames. The stop screws 42 and spring pins 44 are so set that, as best shown in Fig. 12, the

center portion of the web W is engaged between the peripheral faces of the rib Ii and the bottom of the groove It for firm driving engagement with the central portion of the web. At each side of the rib II the spacing between the roll faces is, as clearly shown in-Fig. 12, sufficient to permit the free side portions of the web to be drawn inwardly and freely bent into a general channel shape.

The lower rolls 29, 99. I2 and 84 are drive by means later described, at a speed in exces of the web advancing rolls 1. Until the cutter operates to sever a pallet from the end of the web, the central driving portions of the rolls 21 and 2| slip on the web but maintain it taut during the cutting operation. The severed pallet is then fed forward at the speed of the rolls 21 and 28, thus spacing the severed pallets from each other as they pass through the device.

From the rolls 21-29 the web passes through side guides, generally indicated at II. to the rolls 29-29. As shown in Figs. 2 and 11 the guides l9 substantially bridge the gap between the bites of rolls 21-28 and rolls 29-2., maintaining the shape of thepartially shaped'web as it passes from one set of rolls to the other and further shaping the edge portions preparatory to the further bending operation of rolls 29 and 29.

The guides ll at the right hand side of the web as viewed in Fig. 12 are shown in a generally perspective view in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 12 the guides it each comprise two downwardly extending spaced members as and I and an intermediate member ll extending upwardly between the members 69 and 90. As best shown in Fig. 12 when the web leaves the rolls 21-29 the underside of the web is engaged by the members ll adjacent the upper fold on bend a and the upper face of the web is engaged by the folders 59 adjacent the lower fold or bend b thus preserving the shaping imparted to the web by the rolls 21-29. As the web advances further through the guides II the upper face of the edge portions of the web outwardly of member ii are engaged by the downwardly inclined edges of the guides 20 which bend the outer edge portions downwardly as indicated at c in Fig. 12.

The members 99 and II are carried by blocks 62, and members I are carried by blocks 62, these blocks being prbvided with elongated slots 64 through which bolts ll extend to adiustably secure the blocks to brackets I! (Fig. 6) carried by the main frame.

From the members It the pallet enters between rolls 29-20, Figs. 8 and 13. The upper roll 22 is formed with a central rib 81, similar to rib ii of roll 21, which extends into a groove 62 in the lower roll 20, similar to groove 54 of roll 29. Outwardly of rib 61. roll 29 is provided with peripheral grooves 69. and roll 20 is provided with peripheral ribs 19 which enter grooves 69. As in the case of rolls 21-28 the central portion of the pallet is gripped between the peripheral surface of rib 61 and groove 68 to drive the pallet while, as clearly shown in Fig. 13, the remaining faces of the ribs and grooves are spaced sufficiently-to permit the material of the pallet to follow the contours of the rolls without substantial resistance. The pallet is thus shaped to approximate form without any substantial strain even when traveling at high speed and when formed of relatively thin material. The rolls 29 and 99 are centrally split as at 1| and 12, respectively,

the halves of roll 28 being adjustably secured by auaese set screws 13 to a shaft 35 while the halves of the lower roll are secured by set screws 14 to a shaft 15.

From the rolls 29-33 the pallets pass through side guides, generally indicated at 13 to the final forming rolls 3I--32. As shown in Figs. 4 and 18 the guides 13 comprise downwardly extending members 18 which engage the upper face of the web adjacent the bend on fold b. The members 13 are supported by blocks 13 which are adiustably held to the brackets 33 (Fig. 6) by machine screws or bolts 30 extending through slots 3| in the blocks. The upper roll 3| is formed with a central rib 32 and peripheral grooves 83 while lower roll 32 is provided with peripheral ribs 84, the contour of the rolls 3| and 32 being similar to that of the rolls 29 and 30 respectively, except that as shown in Fig.'14 the-pallets are tightly engaged between the cooperating ribs and grooves across their entire width to firmly and permanently shape the pallets to final form. The rolls 3| and 32 are centrally split as at 85 and 88 respectively, the halves of roll 3| being adjustably secured by set screws 81 to a shaft 35 while the halves of the lower roll 32 are secured by set screws 88 to a shaft 89.

As will be apparent from Figs. 12, 13 and 14 the web and pallets are centrally gripped throughout the shaping and forming operation. The edge portions are loosely bent or shaped by the rolls 21-28 and 29-30, the resulting narrowing of the web taking place without substantial resistance, and the pallet is finally permanently formed, with two spaced elevated ribs 1', between the rolls 3| and 32, without having been subjected to any substantial transverse strain. By this arrangement pallets formed of thin stock of the order of .014 of an inch may be formed at the high speed necessary to supply a high speed wrapping machine, resulting in a saving in material cost of approximately 35%.

Upon leaving the rolls 3| and 32 the pallets are engaged by feed rolls 33 and 34, Figs. 2, 10 and 14. The upper feed roll is secured to a shaft 35 while lower roll 34 is secured to a shaft 90.

The various measuring, feeding, cutting, shaping and forming rolls above described are driven from a shaft 9|, Fig. 1, journaled in brackets 92. At one end shaft 9| is provided with a bevel gear 93 which meshes with a bevel gear 94 secured to stub shaft 95 journaled in a'bracket 95. Stub shaft 95 carries a gear 91 (Fig. 2) which meshes with a gear 98 secured to one end of shaft 24 which carries the cutting blade 20.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the shafts 51, 15, 89 and 90 which respectively carry the lower rolls 28, 30, 32 and 34, are provided with gears 99, I00, IOI and I02 connected into a train by intermediate pinion gears I03, the train being driven from gear 91 through pinion gear I04.

The other end of cutting blade shaft 24 carries a gear I05 (Fig. 7) which meshes with a gear I06 secured to a stub shaft I01 which carries a second gear I08. Gear I08 meshes with a pinion I09 carried by a stub shaft secured in a bracket III adjustably secured to frame I by a bolt II2. Pinion I09 meshes with a change gear II3 (Figs. 1 and 7) removably secured on one end of a shaft II4, the other end of which carries a gear II (Fig. 1) meshing with a pinion II6 which drives meshing gears II1 secured to the shafts 8 of the measuring rolls 1. As will be apparent the speed of the measuring rolls 1, relative to the rotary cutter may be increased or 6 gear at II3. with an appropriate adjustment of pinion I09. so as to cut pallets of desired length from the web.

The completed pallets are discharged (Figs. 1 and 2) by the. feed rolls 33 and 34 onto a slotted plate II3 (Fig.0) provided with side guides III and I20 adiustably secured thereto. As the pallets leave the bite of the feed rolls 33 and 34 their trailing edge is engaged by a pair of transfer fingers I2I which in their movement from full line position to dotted line position in Fig. 2 transfer the pallets to a position in front of a second pair of transfer fingers I22. Transfer fingers I22 operate in a direction at right angles to the movement of fingers I2I (Fig. 1) and serve to move the pallets transversely into position to be engaged by lugs I23 on spaced conveyor sprocket chains I24 which deliver the pallets along supporting rails I25 to the wrappinginstrumentalities, not shown. As the pallets are advanced by the conveyor I24'they pass between centering guides I23, one of the latter being extended as at I21 to form a stop for the pallets as they are delivered by the fingers III. The guides I25 are supported by suitably threaded shafts, one of which isshown at I23. to provide adjustment to accommodate pallets of different lengths.

The transfer fingers I2| which move in an elliptical path are carried by a member I29 (Fig. 2) pivoted at its lower end, as at I30 to the end of one arm I3I of a bell crank, the other arm I32 of which carries a cam roll I33 engaging a cam I34. (Fig. 3) secured to a rotating. shaft I35, by which the up and down component of motion is imparted to the member I29. A tension spring I38 holds cam roll I33 againstcam I34. The forward and back component of the elliptical movement of the fingers I2I is imparted to member I29 through a link I31 having one end pivoted to the member at I35, the other end being adjustably pivoted at I39 in an ,arcuate slot I43 formed in a webbed lever member I4I pivotally mounted on shaft I42. The member I carries a cam roll I43 riding in the groove I44 of a cam -to shaft 15 outwardly of its driving gear I00.

The transfer fingers I22 are adjustab'ly carried by an arm I49 (Figs. 2 and 5) pivoted on astub shaft I50 mounted in a boss I5I, formed on the main frame. Arm I49 is connected by a link I52 to an arm I53 pivoted at one end on a pivot shaft I54 mounted in a bracket I55. The arm I53 carries a cam roll I55 held by a spring I51 against a cam I58 secured to shaft 9|. As will be apparent from Fig. 5 the shape of cam I58 imparts a quick forward thrust and return of fingers I22 to advance the pallets, previously centered at the rear of the conveyor by fingers I2I, into the path diminished by substitution of a larger or smaller I24, the latter thus transmitting power from the- 1. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises, means for forming transversely spaced longitudinal corrugations in said pallets, said means including successive pairs of shaping and forming rolls, means for feeding a web of thin cardboard to said rolls, means positioned between said feeding means and the initial pair of shaping rolls to sever a pallet formnig length of material from the web after the leading end thereof is friction- 'al1y engaged between the initial pair of shaping rolls, means driving said rolls at a speed in excess of the speed of said feeding means to space the pallets as they pass through the shaping and forming rolls, a conveyor for advancing the pallets into a wrapping machine at a predetermined rate and in a predetermined spaced relation, means for transferring the pallets from the final pair of forming rolls to said conveyor, said lastnamed means including two pairs of oscillating pusher fingers successively engaging the trailing end and a side edge of the pallets, means driving said feeding means, severing means, shaping and forming means and transfer means from said conveyor, means to change the speed of the feeding means relative to the speed of the other of said means, to adjust the length of said pallets and means to independently adjust the throw of said pusher fingers.

2. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises means for advancing a web of thin cardboard, means for severing pallet length strips from said web, opposed forming rolls contoured to form spaced parallel longitudinal corrugations in the pallets, means positioned between the web advancing means and said forming rolls to freely bend the material of the pallets into corrugated shape prior to entering the forming rolls, feed rolls engaging the pallets between the corrugations as the pallets leave the forming rolls, a continuously moving conveyor having spaced lugs and traveling at right angles to the path of movement of the pallets, a pair of oscillating fingers engaging the trailing end edge of the pallets as they leave the feed rolls to move them into centered position at the rear end of the conveyor, and a pair of fingers oscillating in the direction of conveyorv movement to advance the pellets from the last-named position to a position to be engaged by the lugs of the conveyor.

3. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises feed rolls for advancing a web of thin cardboard, means for severing pallet length strips from said web, opposed forming rolls contoured to form spaced parallel longitudinal corrugations in the pallets, and means positioned between the feed rolls and forming rolls to freely bend the material of the pallets into corrugated shape prior to entering the forming rolls.

4. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises means for advancing a web of thin cardboard, oppositely paired shaping rolls to which the web is fed by said advancing means, a cutter positioned between the advancing means and the shaping rolls to sever pallets of predetermined length from the web, the shaping rolls making driving engagement with the longitudinal central portion only of the web and severed pallets, the outer end portions of the shaping rolls being conaanese toured to freely bend the edge portions of the pallets into parallel corrugations one at each side of the engaged central portion, a pair of opposed contoured forming rolls making a driving engagement over the entire width of the pallets to permanently set the corrugations in the pallets and stationary side guides engaging the edge portions of the pallets between the shaping and forming rolls to maintain the shape of the corrugations during the passage of the pallets from the shaping rolls to the forming rolls.

5. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises means for advancing a web of thin cardboard, oppositely paired shaping rolls to which the web is fed by said advancing means, a cutter positioned between the advancing means and the shaping rolls to sever pallets of predetermined length from the web, the shaping rolls making driving engagement with the longitudinal central portion only of the web and severed pallets, the outer end portions of the shaping rolls being contoured to freely bend the edge portions of the pallets into parallel corrugations one at each side of the engaged central portion, a pair of opposed contoured forming rolls making a driving engagement over the entire width of the pallets to permanently set the corrugations in the pallets and stationary side guides engaging the edge portions of the pallets between the shaping and forming rolls to maintain the shape of the corrugations during the passage of the pallets from the shaping rolls to the forming rolls, means to drive one member of each pair of shaping and forming rolls at a speed in excess of that of the web advancing means, independently adjustable spring means pressing the other member of each pair toward the driven member of the pair and adjustable means which limit the extent of movement of the spring pressed rolls toward the driven rolls.

6. A machine for making article supporting pallets for wrapping machines which comprises means for advancing a web of thin cardboard, oppositely paired shaping rolls to which the web is fed by said advancing means, a cutter positioned between the advancing means and the shaping rolls to sever pallets of predetermined length from the web, the shaping rolls making driving engagement with the longitudinal central portion only of the web and severed pallets, the outer end portions of the shaping rolls being contoured to freely bend the edge portions of the pallets into parallel corrugations one at each side of the engaged central portion, a pair of opposed contoured forming rolls making a driving engagement over the entire width of the pallets to permanently set the corrugations in the pallets and stationary side guides engaging the edge portions of the pallets between the shaping and forming rolls to maintain the shape of the corrugations during the passage of the pallets from the shaping rolls to the forming rolls. rotatable shafts upon which said rolls are respectively secured, each of said rolls being centrally split along planes at right angles to their axes of rotation, and means to secure the roll halves in adjusted position on their respective shafts to predetermine the spacing of the corrugations formed in the pallets.

NORMAN W. LYON. ROLAND E. BROWN.

No references cited. 

